CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe joined Cameroon Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute and Fédération Camerounaise de Football (FECAFOOT) president Samuel Eto’o on Wednesday for the official inauguration of FECAFOOT’s new headquarters in Yaoundé.
The ceremony marked the completion of a long-delayed project that has become a symbol of renewed ambition within Cameroonian football under Eto’o’s leadership.
The inauguration of the modern facility was attended by football administrators, African football legends, members of the business community and senior government officials, highlighting the significance attached to the project both within Cameroon and across the continent.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was jointly performed by Dr Motsepe and Samuel Eto’o, accompanied by Prime Minister Dion Ngute and Cameroon’s Sports Minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombi.
The new headquarters is regarded as a major milestone in the modernisation of football infrastructure in Cameroon and aligns with CAF’s broader push to improve sporting facilities and administrative standards across Africa.
Construction of the FECAFOOT headquarters first began on 13 November 2012, but the project became synonymous with years of delays, interruptions and uncertainty. For more than a decade, the unfinished structure stood as a reminder of the administrative and financial difficulties that have affected football governance in Cameroon.
Following his election as FECAFOOT president, Eto’o identified completion of the headquarters as one of his key priorities, viewing the project as central to restoring institutional credibility and strengthening the federation’s image.
According to sources close to the development, nearly 1.5 billion FCFA (approximately $2.5m or £2m) was invested during Eto’o’s administration to ensure the works were completed.
The headquarters is expected to serve not only as FECAFOOT’s administrative centre, but also as a symbol of the federation’s efforts to modernise and reflect the stature of Cameroonian football within Africa.
Cameroon remains one of the continent’s most successful football nations, with a proud history in the Africa Cup of Nations and multiple FIFA World Cup appearances. The completion of the facility is therefore being viewed as both a practical and symbolic step towards strengthening the country’s football institutions.
For CAF, the project also reflects Dr Motsepe’s wider agenda of encouraging investment in football infrastructure and governance reforms throughout Africa, with member associations increasingly urged to modernise facilities capable of supporting long-term development.
